Kathleen O'Brien

Good book with a solid romance and a touch of mystery. Tess was raised by a single mother in California. She knew nothing of her father until her mother revealed the truth just before she died. Now Tess has come to Bell River Ranch to work as a massage therapist and see what she can find out about the family she never knew she had. She has no plans to tell them who she is, just stay long enough to get to know them, then move on. Then a couple things happen to change her plans. First, thanks show more to a series of unexpected events her part time job turns into an offer to be the spa director. Second, she meets Jude, gorgeous and nice, who tempts her to stay on.

I liked Tess a lot. She hasn't had an easy life. Her mother had been very strict and controlling of her, trying to keep Tess from making the same mistakes she had made. Instead, Tess married young to a man who she thought was better than he was. She divorced him when his true nature came out, but the effects of the marriage linger. With her mother gone, Tess is searching for her own place in the world, somewhere she feels she can belong. She gets that feeling at Bell River, but is sure that her sisters would not be happy knowing of her existence. I really liked seeing how Tess made a place for herself at the spa. I could see that she really wants to be part of the life there, but she's afraid of rejection.

I loved Jude. He's a native of the town who had gone away for awhile but is now back. He's the kind of guy who steps in to help wherever he is needed. Right now he is taking care of his youngest sister and her baby. Molly is suffering from postpartum depression, plus has left her abusive husband. Jude also has broken things off with his girlfriend, a woman he grew up with, but since her move to Hollywood has become someone he doesn't like very much. He comes to realize that he had only been with her all those years because he was protecting her. He's determined to squash his "white knight" tendencies and stay away from women who need his help.

There's a connection between Tess and Jude right away. I loved their first meeting, where she has to use him as her "interview" massage. He senses a vulnerability in her that draws him to her over and over. He also realizes that though she sometimes seems a little lost, she isn't needy, preferring to stand on her own feet. Tess is equally drawn to Jude, but with her secret she is hesitant to get involved. I really enjoyed seeing them get to know each other and become friends before anything else. I loved Jude's belief in her when trouble arrived in the form of her ex-husband. Their feelings had been steadily growing and giving in to them was both sweet and hot. There were some issues with their exes that had to be dealt with, but the strength of their feelings makes it all possible.

There was a bit of a mystery running through the book also. The sisters have been fighting to make the ranch a success in spite of the scandal created by their father. They have been receiving nasty, anonymous notes that have escalated into some vandalism. Tess also has to deal with the arrival of her ex, who is making unwelcome demands of her, forcing her to reveal her secret to her sisters. A strange twist puts her ex on a collision course with the note leaver, creating a whole new scandal for them to deal with. The culprit was a bit of a surprise, but wrapped things up quite well.

I loved seeing so much of the sisters and their families from the previous books. Their interactions with Tess, both before and after the revealing of her secrets, were quite believable. I especially loved their support after her ex arrived. Dallas's son Alec is still one of the most fun characters of the series. show less

Very good book. Penny is the youngest of the Wright sisters and the last to return to Colorado. She was eleven when her father killed her mother and she was sent to live with an aunt in California. Now that aunt has passed and Penny is free to live her life. But she doesn't want to go to the family ranch and get mothered by her sisters, so she buys a duplex and rents out the other half to Max and his daughter. Her introduction to Max came when she impulsively kissed him before she knew who show more he was. Neither is looking for a relationship so they agree to be friends. That turns out to be harder than they expected.

Penny was terrific. She is finally able to take control of her life after being stuck caring for an elderly aunt who was pretty uptight. Penny had been the bright and creative sister and all of that was squashed by her aunt's conservatism. When Penny headed to Colorado she had a list of things she wanted to try. I loved seeing her watch Max when he came in the ice cream parlor with Ellen and be so great with her even when Ellen was being a brat. She was so impressed that she kissed him then disappeared, thinking she'd never see him again. She wasn't really happy to find out he was her tenant, as that could put a strain their business relationship. She was relieved when he agreed that they should just be friends. Penny has plans for the next year, to have a chance to get to know herself without depending on anyone else. She discovers that the attraction she felt for Max doesn't go away. I loved the way that Penny stood up for what she wanted in the face of her sisters' desire to protect her. She also made a good start at the wishes on her list, giving her the confidence she needed to move on. I loved her joy in her art and the bridge it created to get to know Max's daughter Ellen and help her deal with her mother's death. Penny had so many struggles to try to overcome the memories of her life on the ranch. I loved seeing her overcome so many of them. Penny also discovered that getting to know Max meant taking the biggest risk of all - risking her heart. I also enjoyed seeing her get to know and love Ellen. She also loved them so much she pulled back in order to give Max the chance to concentrate all his energy on Ellen. The ending was so emotional that it required a good supply of tissues.

Max had brought Ellen to Colorado to get her away from some bad influences back in Chicago. With the death of his wife, Max realized that it was his responsibility and he had no clue how to do it. Max and his wife had been on the verge of divorce when she died. I loved seeing the way he decided that he had to step up in a way that he'd been avoiding before. Ellen was now going to be his sole focus. He didn't expect a young and beautiful landlady who he was attracted to. I loved seeing how Max tried to be what Elle needed and his frustration when he felt like he was failing. Penny's insights gave him a shot at making things right. Max was also still fighting the trauma of having been kidnapped and held for ransom. He resists his growing feelings for Penny but ultimately realized that being with her helped to heal him. I loved his goal to help Penny fulfill all the things on her list.

I really liked seeing Penny's sisters and their families and getting a bit more of their complicated relationships. It was great to see how much they cared for each other and how they wanted to take care of Penny. I loved seeing her stand up to them and how they ultimately saw things from her point of view. I loved Max's daughter Ellen and how she was portrayed to well. Her issues with her dad and the memories of her mother were beautifully done. I got a kick out of her developing friendship with Alec and the trouble they got into. The changes she went through were so great as she learned to trust her father's love for her. She also had to deal with her feelings about Penny and her growing role in their lives. show less

The author gave the familiar "jilted bride" plot a twist and breathed new life into it. I found the Mellon family quite disturbing and found myself rooting for Tom and Kelly because of that.

An entertaining, quick read. Brenna and "Ronnie" met when she was 19 and they spent a wonderful summer together - until one day he just left without a word. She later discovered that he was actually Ronan, a prince second in line to his country's throne and resolves never to see him again. Until....her PR company is hired by his family to do damage control for his brother, the first in line. Ronan is still in love with her and has to convince her that she is worthy of a prince. I show more particularly enjoyed Ronan's mother, the Queen. A well-written novella, definitely worth a read. show less